2003 Mitsubishi Lancer — 2.0L

The 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer represents the peak of a complaint spike within this generation, recording 311 complaints—more than double the 155 from 2002 and roughly four times the 80 logged in 2004. That year tied 2004 for the highest recall count in the early generation period at 7, accompanied by 1 federal investigation and 96 technical service bulletins, with Power Train issues dominating at 112 of the 311 complaints, followed by Visibility at 61. The complaint trajectory dropped sharply after 2003, falling to 80 in 2004 and just 24 in 2005, suggesting the 2003 model year may have captured early production or design issues that were subsequently addressed. Crash complaints numbered 16 and fire complaints just 1, indicating these were not widespread or systemic safety concerns. The data does not specify the root cause of the Power Train complaints, but the magnitude and the fact that complaints declined substantially in subsequent model years suggests these were not persistent generational defects. The 2003 Lancer is the worst year of this generation by complaint volume, so buyers should approach with caution and ensure any used example has documented recall and TSB work completed.